A Gooners view on how the Everton points deduction and its aftermath might affect all top clubs and their fans by Jon Fox
My fellow Arsenal and JustArsenal “addicts”
The rather harsh judgement on Everton and the shock deduction of a TEN-point penalty might be thought, with justification, a draconian punishment, especially when compared to the measly three million pounds fines for those who were intent on destroying any remaining fairness in football by the squalid idea of a European Super League, our own beloved Arsenal included, in still recent times.
Can I float the thought that it seems easier to punish the likes of now lowly Everton, but taking on the REAL big clubs with their easy access to top lawyers and all the influence those clubs and their fans wield, some of whom are VERY WELL CONNECTED, is a lot more daunting for the EPL appointed commission?
The ironies reported to be connected to this case, probably accurately too, are legion.
Let’s take “poor hard done” by Leeds United for example. That same Leeds who, barely twenty years ago, under the chairmanship of that litigious old rogue Ken Bates, formerly owner of Chelsea and a really nasty, uncaring for fans, sort of grizzly tyrant of a man – befitting Chelsea, one may well conclude – blew up spectacularly, when gambling all on a mad unaffordable financial chase for CL glory and spent themselves in the process into relegation, and this whilst under the managership of our own former great, David O’Leary. But no Financial Fair Play penalties existed back then.
No, my friends, if there is ONE club that deserves nothing of benefit to come from any attempt to sue Everton, it is surely LEEDS hypocrites UNITED!
Which brings me to that fanciful idea, widely reported as being on the cards that such as Leeds, Leicester and Burnley, the three relegated teams last season, might try to sue Everton for damages. LAUGHABLY wrongly, as I will now explain.
Firstly, Everton were indicted for spending above the limit allowed across a three-year period, not one, as some seem to imagine. I won’t delve too much into the fact they were allowed to lose two hundred and thirty million pounds, across the three-year period including Covid and the Russian Ukraine war, neither of which were foreseeable in advance, rather than the normal one hundred and five million losses for other clubs.
In fact, the total loss was two hundred and fifty million, against an allowance of two hundred and thirty million, a mere eight per cent excess. Blame their financial director then if you wish. But why punish DECENT, EVER SO LOYAL FANS!!?
Therefore, nine clubs, not a mere three, might convince themselves they have some sort of THEORETICAL claim against Everton, were any of them unwise enough to try their luck in court.
But not a single one will do so, as to do so would cost them all money in considerable lawyers’ fees which will be prohibitive, and any club attempting to sue would need to show a specific and proven case for them being relegated, involving actual points lost, while Everton stayed up.
And THAT will be impossible to prove, and undeniable proof is what will be needed, IF they are to have a hope of succeeding.
TAKE IT FROM ME THAT NONE WILL TRY IT, THOUGH PLENTY OF BLUSTER WILL CONTINUE FOR A WHILE YET.
Everton and their fans, some of whom have already said they are happy to face that ten-point deduction THIS season, instead of during the previous two are being realistic.
THAT would have meant almost certain relegation, whereas this season Everton are a better team, and even though now stuck on a mere four points, they are only just behind such as Luton, who are two points in front with the three promoted clubs seeming certain still to be relegated.
Evertonians are naturally well aware of this and are rightly confident they will stay up, IMO comfortably too.
I think them unlucky to have been punished so heavily, while being fortunate it has happened THIS season, not last.
Moving on from Everton though, onto future punishments for other overspending clubs. No prizes for guessing which TWO “lovable, cuddly clubs”(NOT!!) are next in the firing line. Yes, that’s right, “your favourites and mine too”, in Citeh and Chelski.
IMO, these two clubs taken together, are responsible, more than all other clubs together, for the mad, “money is no object” financially immoral race to trophies.
Those two financially doping clubs have done more harm, by themselves, to damage what was left of any remaining fairness between top clubs than all other clubs, including our beloved ARSENAL, with our ability to award such as Ozil and Havertz salaries which are absolutely mad, obscene and which damage football so much.
And other top clubs have done even more to ruin fairness, even before we again mention Chelski and Citeh!
In Scotland, a few short years ago Rangers FC, for financial irregularities, were demoted to the bottom Scottish division, the league two. However, any Gooner craving a similar fate to befall Chelsea and City will be almost certainly disappointed.
It is clear, that in order to try their best to stave off the almost certain influence the government appointed independent regulator, soon to be appointed, will have over the EPL financial affairs, that commission, in their unfairness, decided to act in draconian manner against poor financially up against the wall, Everton.
But when the City and Chelsea cases come to be heard – God alone knows when – as TOP MONEY LAWYERS employed by those filthy rich clubs have already let it be publicly known they will fight the EPL with every dirty money petro dollar they possess, we will see how BRAVE the EPL are then, when faced with deadly enraged legal tigers to take on – and not a tame harmless Toffee pussy cat to fight.
In all his sorry mess, the people I most feel sorry for BY A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE, is we ordinary fans, whether we be Gooners, Toffees, City or Chelsea fans or any other fans. We fans, if only we would work together as we did do superbly well when defeating that evil rapacious idea of a closed shop Euro Super League, could wield such effective power.
But first, we need to recognise that we are all on the same side. We all appreciate banter, provided it is just teasing. However, when we are seriously and foolishly trying to bait opposition fans, either online or in the ground, we let ourselves down bigtime.
WE FANS are, together with only a relatively few notable exceptions, like the late Everton loving and caring for Bill KENWRIGHT, are the TRUE GUARDIANS OF THE MORALS OF FOOTBALL.
We sometimes forget that, and when we do, we do so at our peril.
If we ever let the many money mad rapacious sharks who infest football, run willy nilly over the little of what remains as wholesome in the business that surrounds our game, then our life addiction, as Gooners, as Toffees, as Spuds and as any fans anywhere, is effectively DEAD!
FIGHT MY FRIENDS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE GAME AND THE SPORT WE ALL ADORE.
Remember evil flourishes when good men and good women stand idle.
COYG
Jon Fox
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